Hermes Oasis Sandal Women High Heel Sandal in Epsom Heritage Calfskin Blue Chacier

Blue is the colour I hear people overthink most. This Chacier blue is deep enough for evening, soft enough for denim, and nowhere near the electric shade that makes a sandal look like swimwear. In practice it behaves almost like a neutral with more personality. It sits between navy and cerulean, which is why it looks considered rather than loud.

Same Oasis architecture underneath: the H cut-out on the vamp, a five-centimetre heel over a 4.5-centimetre front-to-back difference. EU 36 to 41, made in Italy. The finish is even, and the blue does not shift tone where the foot flexes. Sizing is consistent with the rest of the Oasis line.

I pair mine with white linen, faded jeans and navy tailoring, and the effect is different each time — which is the argument for a blue sandal over a black one if you own both. On holiday they photograph nicely against tile and stone. I wore them for a week of harbour lunches and they never once looked tired; with a straw bag and a linen shirt they are at their best.

The trade-off: mid-tone blues are harder to match to a bag than camel or black, and if you keep a strict two-colour wardrobe these will sit out some weeks. When they do come out, though, they lift an outfit faster than any neutral will. In winter they go back in the box with the other summer colours, because blue needs light to look like itself.